


Sound of a Living Heart

by Diddle_Riddle



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Families of Choice, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gen, Hot Chocolate, Hugs, Lazy Mornings, M/M, Morning Cuddles, Siblings, Sleepy Cuddles, Snow, Snow Fight, Sweet, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:28:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28674486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diddle_Riddle/pseuds/Diddle_Riddle
Summary: A sweet piece of lazy morning fluff starring Scriddler, their daughters and a winter weather.
Relationships: Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe & Edward Nygma, Jonathan Crane & Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe, Jonathan Crane/Edward Nygma, Stephanie Brown & Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe, Stephanie Brown & Edward Nygma, Stephanie Brown & Jonathan Crane
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from JJ Heller's song 'Sound of a Living Heart', because feels and wholesomeness.  
> Enjoy!

Jonathan Crane felt... warm.

Not the impulsive kind of 'warm' one feels in the middle of a fight, about to jump in a situation of action, when the rush makes you feel hyper-aware, eyes wide and ears sensitive to the smallest sound whilst you have the sensation your strength increases due to adrenaline. When you have this conviction to be invincible.

Not the invasive warmth caused by stress or fear. Scarecrow is well-placed to analyze _this one,_ which, similarly to adrenaline, makes a subject's heart beat faster and augments their sensitivity... at a cost: this heat turns against its host, making them _panic_ and in extreme cases, lose their senses. It leads to harm, complications, terror, death in some contexts.

Not the bouncy joy you feel when succeeding at something. This positive excitement that _pulsates_ within a person, the warmth that is purely born from _happiness._

Not the sensual type of 'warm', the pleasure that flows in one's veins when sharing slices of time with their lover. The heat that made his body, mind and blood boil with _affection_ when he is with Edward. As the redhead will surely never stop bragging about, _he_ introduced the doctor to this attachment towards a person. Eddie entirely triggered this range of love Jonathan never thought he would experiment, so even less with someone who is so... objectively _perfect._ Not that he would tell Ed such a thing, he is not one to easily have recourse to compliments out loud; he much preferred complaining about Riddler's peculiar habits, his constant babbling, his childish line of conduct and his hysterical outbursts. Even if... no one is a dupe: everybody knows he _loves him._

None of these categories of 'warm' live in Jonathan's feelings at present.

Friendship produces warmth too, he experienced it as well. Pamela. Harley. Jervis.

Right now, this is different.

This is... intense.

Lying down on the comfy mattress of the large bed, the professor smiled, his heart filled with a... bright, plain _love._

When Jon fell asleep, he was spooning Edward's back and the children were each in their bedroom.

Looks like the night brought its share of modifications to this picture, starting by the little girl curled up facing him, who put her head close to his chest as she fit between Ed and him, her cheek resting on Eddie's forearm.

Edward, this is habitual, _moved._ Jonathan is the kind of person who falls asleep in a position and wakes up hours later at the exact same spot almost all the time. Eddie however...

Jon's smile enlarged. He enjoyed waking up before his boyfriend: watching the angles his slim body formed during the night is always quite the sight. Some photos even circulate among their friends' network, about the hilarious poses their ginger kitten is able to take in his sleep.

Right now he had his neck arched on the green pillow, a leg dangerously close to escape from the bed, his right arm under Charlie's head who visibly took it as a pillow and his left one loosely wrapped around Steph's body, the closest to the edge of the bed.

Stephanie was sleeping... in the star position, taking way too much space given her small frame. Just like Ed, she has a tendency to push people out of the bed. Numerous times, Jon found her stuffed toys and pillows on the floor whilst the eleven years old was at the center of her mattress, as if she needed _more space._

Even asleep, she looked so much like Edward in her every behaviors, no one would doubt they are related. Father and daughter, brother and sister, best buddies, soul siblings... they haven't decided yet what term fits the most. The Rogues Gallery _love_ their dynamic duo from the day little Stephanie appeared in their world. The most amusing in this is that it's thanks to her _father_ that Riddler and her met, one day Edward came at Arthur Brown's house to elaborate blueprints for an incoming scheme with the blond man.

Since then, they... didn't part from one another.

The rogues grew used to Edward hanging out with his half-adopted daughter-sister the entire Gallery ended up... co-raising, endorsing the role of eccentric yet caring aunts and uncles.

As for Jonathan? He got accustomed to have a kid over, to the point he... unconsciously became her father. Even referred to her as 'his daughter' instead of simply saying 'Edward's soul sister'.

Edward Nygma and Stephanie Brown. Beyond the true friendship he feels for Pamela, Harley and Jervis, the nice, polite relation he maintains with other colleagues such as Victor Fries, Selina, Harvey and Oswald, those two children are... family.

 _His_ family.

To which someone... added up.

Jon put a kiss on the top of the head of the redhead closest to him, whose pinkish red hair made a contrast with Ed's pumpkin orange mid-long strands spread on the green pillow.

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe.

That Edward bonded with a little girl isn't especially surprising, given the fact he _is_ a child himself. First a pre-teen when he entered the business, then... even a young adult now, his temper remains one of a _child._ On the other hand, that _Jonathan_ brought home an orphan, a street kid he met outside one day and... never asked her to leave, came out as a great surprise.

A surprise everyone rapidly adopted; by now the nine years old counts as an integral part of their family.

Waking up to his boyfriend and his non-official daughters sleeping next to him made Jonathan Crane feel... warm.

Warm with genuine affection for those people who share his life.

So _that's_ what family feels like.

Family makes one's heart sing with _love_ as they feel... alive.


	2. Chapter 2

"Loooooook, it snowed!"

Stephanie's high-pitched exclamation announced the forthcoming activity of this late morning.

Jonathan and Edward booked a chalet in the mountains, close to a frozen lake. They were in for two weeks of holidays with the girls, away from Gotham's gambits. A typical winter program awaited them: snow-related sports, hot chocolates, roasted marshmallows, old video games, craft pastimes... They arrived two days ago, and planned to _enjoy_ their trip.

Jonathan spent a moment watching them sleep, entirely absorbed in the wholesome feeling provoked by their peaceful sight. When the kids woke up, Edward and Steph immediately engaged in a friendly bickering over why the younger ones ended in their bed. Instead of saying it's because she wanted comfort or because cuddling feels good, Stephanie argued that "your bed is more comfortable than mine, that's why. Nothing to do with you guys."

Charlie as for her didn't deny, she let out a sweet "I felt alone in my bedroom, I wanted company", then curled up closer to Jonathan whom hugged her tenderly. Smiling, the two arbitrated Ed and Steph's debate revolving around which one takes more space on the mattress.

Their buddies from the Gallery never miss an occasion to point out the mirror-like parrallels between the four of them.

"You _divided_ the work, didn't you?", Pammy had jested once. "Each their girl."

"It's not like that.", Stephie had retorted smugly. "More like _each our boy,_ and we share them."

When becoming Edward's mentor, Jonathan discovered what it means to be... never bored, he was forever amused and entertained when Riddler is around. With Stephanie then Charlotte, he confirmed his life has gone down an... unexpected path, to say the least. One he loved with every fiber of his being.

Gazing at the large bay window nearby, Steph pointed out the white coated outside.

Yesterday they walked on a thin layer of coagulated snow when doing an afternoon out on a forest trail. Tonight an heavy immaculate blanket covered the landscape, like a thick sugary powder.

"Can we take a look?", she required.

"None of you goes out without wearing a coat, gloves, a beanie and a scarf.", Jonathan warned as they exited the bed to walk toward the window leading to a circular terrace, from which they benefitted from a beautiful bird's eye view on the frozen lake the chalet is built close to.

No one in the perimeter. Just them, nature and snow.

It felt... safe.

"I'm serious.", the doctor insisted nevertheless. "It's pleasantly warm inside, but to play with snow you need to get equipped or..."

In the trademark pink cloud that materialized every time she used her power, Charlotte teleported from the inside to the _outside._

She waved at them from the terrace, in her night dress and socks that sank into the snow. She bent down, scooped a handful of fresh snow, compacted it between her fingers... and teleported again, back inside, to throw her snowball at Jonathan, making Stephanie and Edward _burst out laughing._

And Jon, too, in a more held back through just as genuine manner.

The psychiatrist won the battle of having those three children wrapped in adapted clothing (and he had Charlie change her socks, wet after her snow preview) before they went down the stairs leading to the ground, on the large open space at the chalet's left.

Wearing warm coats, boots and fully covered... they _played like children._ Starting by a good old snow fight.

At first they messily threw snow left and right, then a strategy emerged: Edward and Stephanie hid behind a frozen bush to make ammunition whilst Jonathan and Charlotte built a snowy knoll to dissimulate themselves.

The two shared a glance. They have an advantage against their adversaries, which they used once ready: Charlie teleported behind them while Jonathan attacked from the front. Ed and Steph ended caught in the middle of the crossfire, Charlotte teleported each time they tried to retaliate by throwing snowballs at her direction.

The youngest never used her ability as freely as since her path crossed Jonathan Crane's.

Her mother knew she is a meta; albeit she has always been supportive, she saw this as a... problem rather than a gift. She worried someone would discover her daughter is a mutant. Turned out her power _saved her life_ from the blaze that trapped her mother, herself and the fifteen other inhabitants of her building one night. Everyone died, unable to retreat from the flames. Everyone except her.

From then she... ran away, having no one to turn to, no one who even knew she escaped. Reported dead with the rest of the victims, Charlie left Metropolis... and, piece by piece, arrived to Gotham, where she survived more than she lived, her ability the only thing that kept her... existing for over two years.

Now she was not barely 'surviving' anymore. She was _living._

And knowing she is a meta never made a difference for her found family or the rogues from their close circle. On the contrary, they encouraged her to develop her gift, to practice and master the extent of her power.

Before she met them, she would never have foreseen she'd use her ability to _play,_ with people well aware she is a mutant, who... don't see this as an issue. Quite the opposite.

Fully invested in their game, Jonathan grabbed Edward and immobilized him, offering access for Charlie to bombard him with snowballs.

Stephanie jumped on Scarecrow's back; who didn't manage to shake her off, she removed his beanie to ruffle his brown hair with snow. Then she thought 'why not', and Steph turned to the other side: she helped burying a giggling Edward under snowballs.

Their cheeks red from both the adrenaline and the cool air, tear tracks on their cheeks with how much they guffawed, the little family finished on the ground, covered of snow and holding each other.

They paused around noon. Nested in the living room part of the chalet, they had changed from their snow-fight clothes, in for a late breakfast / noon brunch, introduced by:

"The ultimate power of waffles and hot chocolate!", as the blonde girl claimed with pride.

If Stephie and Eddie were to open a café one day, they would call it _'Waffles & Hot Chocolate'_. It's actually a recurring joke among the rogues.

Charlie covered her waffle of strawberry jam whilst Edward plunged mini-marshmallows in the steaming hot chocolate cups. Stephanie babbled about her willingness to build a snowman this afternoon.

"Look!", Charlotte showed him at some point; Steph, Eddie and her being busy playing with the various food they displayed on the wooden table, they created little almond paste objects before eating these. "I made a marshmallow you! His arms are crossed because he is grumpy at the universe, but he is smiling because he secretly cares for everyone even if he doesn't admit it. Do you like it?"

Jonathan watched the eatable figurine, a marshmallow-almond-paste-and-walnuts character.

"It's... fine.", he answered, a lump forming in his throat over so much cuteness.

Ed and Steph grinned like two Cheshire cats, about to tease him for _having emotions,_ so he clarified by himself:

"You guys will be the death of me."

They chuckled. So much warmth pounded in the doctor's heart, he felt like he had a star in his ribcage.

He _loved_ his life with those kids.

Over the afternoon, they indeed built a snowman. Well, a... Batsnowman as they renamed it, they purposely made it frown, wrapped a black cape on its shoulders and put bat ears-shaped pieces on the top of its head.

Fire is a... complex element.

This evening, after their afternoon in the snow, Charlotte nested at Jonathan's left on the couch in the living room, a blanket over her small silhouette. She is _afraid_ of fire, for evident reasons. Therefore, none of the three others would have proposed using the chimney, they planned on considering it a strictly _decorative_ item. They assured they are fine with turning the efficacious heaters on, these are more than enough to warm the indoor space. Be that as it may... the request came from Charlie.

"It's my first vacations ever. And my first... family trip. I want to try the whole deal, like in the movies! That includes chilling in front of a lighted fireplace."

Thus, under the condition she'd let them know if it made her uncomfortable, they launched a fire. Whereas Charlie tensed at first when the flames danced around the logs, soon she relaxed on the couch, slowly but surely learning to appreciate the warm wave, instead of fearing to get burnt.

When Jonathan fell asleep in their bed tonight, hours later, after they read the girls' bedtime story, he was spooning Edward's back.

For tomorrow, they projected a sled activity at an adapted location they spotted not far from the chalet. They'll bring a picnic, spend the day out.

And Jon... was fond of playing 'civilian dad in winter holidays with his boyfriend and daughters'.

He may couldn't have predicted these feelings would touch him one day, now that he got a taste of family life, he... wouldn't get over it for the world.

To him who spent his childhood, teenage years and twenties being... cold, empty inside, it's the action of _becoming_ the Scarecrow in his late twenties that ignited a spark of life inside him. Meeting Edward years later and growing... close, morphed this impulse into a flashover.

But becoming a _family?_

For someone who thought he would never experience anything but a freezing cold, having people melting the ice around his heart, making it beat with _love_ and constantly warming up to them is... the closest to pure joy Jonathan ever knew.

Even snow feels warm, when enjoyed with people he loves.


End file.
